Voting Criteria: Player’s importance to the team in 2021, overall talent, and future potential for the upcoming season. A player’s long-term/NFL prospects were not taken into consideration.
Voting Panel: Publisher Sean Callahan, HuskerOnline.com senior writer Robin Washut, videographer Gregg Peterson, KETV Sports Director Andy Kendeigh, and HOL intern Abby Barmore.
15. Gabe Ervin, RB, Fr.
The newest member of Nebraska’s running back room, true freshman Gabe Ervin took advantage of his opportunities this spring as much as anyone at the position.
Ervin, who ranked as the nation’s No. 23 running back in the 2021 class, ran it a game-high 12 times for 57 yards during his unofficial Husker debut in the Red-White scrimmage.
That performance capped off an impressive first college spring for the former three-star recruit out of Buford, Ga., who enrolled early in January.
Ervin said he’d already added 10-15 pounds to his frame over the winter and quickly adjusted with the speed of the college game. He knows he still had a lot of work remaining, but this spring gave him even more confidence that he could have an immediate impact in 2021.
It’s still too early to tell where Ervin will end up on the Week 1 depth chart. Based on his initial showings this spring, he has the full attention of NU’s coaching staff.
14. Marquel Dismuke, S, Sr.
Nebraska’s defense got a big boost this offseason when senior safety Marquel Dismuke announced he would return for a sixth season in 2021.
The California native has started 20 consecutive games at NU over the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Over his career, Dismuke has 158 total tackles, including 47 this past year. He had a career-high 15 tackles in the Huskers’ win over Penn State and tied for the team-lead with four pass break-ups.
According to PFF, Dismuke played 536 snaps in 2020, the third-most on the team only behind linebacker JoJo Domann (575) and cornerback DiCaprio Bootle (538).
His return answered many questions about the back end of Nebraska’s secondary, as Dismuke rejoined veterans Cam Taylor-Britt and Deontai Williams as an established nucleus to build around in 2021.
13. Casey Rogers, DL, So.
One of the best players on Nebraska’s roster who doesn’t get talked about nearly enough is Casey Rogers.
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound sophomore has quickly vaulted his way up Nebraska’s defensive line rotation, playing in all eight games last season with his first career start at Northwestern.
He finished the year with 24 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, and a sack while playing 243 snaps in 2020, the third-most of any NU d-lineman, per PFF.
Rogers might not be an initial starter on the Huskers’ three-man front, but there is no doubt he’ll continue to play a significant role for the Blackshirts all year.
12. Luke Reimer, ILB, So.
A former walk-on inside linebacker out of Lincoln (Neb.) North Star, Luke Reimer has earned a scholarship and established himself as a fixture on Nebraska’s defense over the past two seasons.
Even though injuries limited him to six appearances and five starts last year, Reimer still posted 40 tackles and ranked third on the team with 5.0 tackles for loss and second with 2.0 sacks.
The 6-foot-1, 220-pound third-year sophomore is now firmly cemented in the Huskers’ inside linebacker rotation. With the season-ending injury to Will Honas, he’s essentially a lock to be a starter in Week 1.
NU inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud said this spring that Reimer had legitimate NFL potential if he can stay healthy.
11. Omar Manning, WR, Jr.
Talent has never been the issue for Omar Manning.
The former four-star and No. 2 overall junior college recruit in the country out of Kilgore (Texas) C.C. was expected to change the look of Nebraska’s offense when he signed in 2020.
But for reasons on and off the field, Manning was never even a factor for the Huskers last season. He made just one appearance in the second game at Northwestern and played just four snaps before being shut down for the rest of the year.
Just when it seemed like it was time to write off the 6-foot-4, 225-pound junior, though, he came back with an impressive spring where, by all accounts, he did everything asked of him.
The most pressing wide receiver question over the summer and fall camp will be whether Manning can stay on track and solidify himself as a reliable player in practices and workouts that his coaches and teammates can trust.
If he can, he’ll be one of the Huskers’ best offensive players. But there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done before that’s answered.
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